The "Semaphore Tower" at HMNB Portsmouth.
Her Majesty's Naval Base (HMNB) Portsmouth (HMS Nelson), is one of three operating bases for the Royal Navy (the others being HMNB Clyde and HMNB Devonport). Portsmouth naval base is located on the eastern shore of Portsmouth Harbour and is part of the city of Portsmouth and is situated north of the Solent and Isle of Wight. The base is home to the oldest Drydocks, as well as being a base port for 66% of the Royal Navy's surface fleet. The base is home to a number of shore activities including shipbuilding (VT Group); ship repair and naval logistics (Fleet Support Limited); and personnel support functions (eg accommodation and messing; medical and dental; education; pastoral and welfare) provided by the Ministry of Defence. The base is the oldest in the Royal Navy, has been a vital part of its history and the defence of the British Isles for centuries and was at its height the largest industrial site in the world [1] . The Naval Base is also home to Portsmouth Historic Dockyard which allows members of the public to visit important maritime attractions such as the Mary Rose, HMS Victory and HMS Warrior.
In 2006 the Ministry of Defence announced that a review would be undertaken to examine the future of the three Naval Bases. The Naval Base Review was seeking to examine the long term future needs of the Royal Navy, with the most likely outcome being either retaining the three current Naval Bases, but with reduced capacity in each, or closing one of the two on the south coast of England. The results of the review, released in 2007, have stipulated no base closures.
The base commander is Commodore David Steel RN
The harbour is under the control of the Queen's Harbour Master, currently Commander S O Hopper RN, who is the regulatory authority of the Dockyard Port of Portsmouth, an area of approximately 50 square miles that encompasses Portsmouth Harbour and the Eastern Solent. Shipping movements are handled by a team of admiralty pilots headed by the Chief Admiralty Pilot, Anthony Bannister.
Portsmouth naval base is home to 2/3 of the Royal Navy's surface ships, including the two aircraft carriers (HMS Illustrious and HMS Ark Royal). The naval base employs 17,200 people.
Functioning base
HMS Invincible,Almirante Cochrane (ex HMS Norfolk) and HMS Westminster.Ships of the Royal Navy moored at HMNB Portsmouth
It plays host to a large part of the surface fleet of the Royal Navy including Invincible-class aircraft carriers, Type 42 destroyers, the majority of the Type 23 frigates, fishery protection vessels and a squadron of mine counter-measures vessels (minesweepers and mine hunters). Most of the vessels based in Portsmouth form part of the Portsmouth Flotilla, under the Fleet First reorganisation which saw the three (Portsmouth,Devonport and Faslane) port flotillas replace the frigate and destroyer squadrons and other groupings.
In total some 17,300 people work in the base. Until recently it was the base of the Second Sea Lord[citation needed] who flew his flag in HMS Victory, which is the oldest commissioned warship in the world (although it was originally built at Chatham Dockyard).The Second Sea Lord is now at Leach Building on Whale Island.
Portsmouth Historic Dockyard
In addition to HMS Victory, a portion of the base serves as a maritime museum (now called Portsmouth Historic Dockyard) and plays host to:
Across the harbour in Gosport are:
History
No 1 Basin with Hunt Class MCMVs and HMS Victory visible. HMNB Portsmouth
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Along with Chatham, Woolwich, Plymouth and Deptford, it has been one of the main dockyards for the Royal Navy throughout its history.
The Tudors
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The wreck of the Mary Rose is on display in a purpose built museum. The oldest Drydocks in the world were built by Henry VII in 1495. Ships from Portsmouth were a key part of the fleet that drove off the Spanish Armada in 1588.
Napoleonic Wars
During this period, this (like the other dockyards underwent reforms proposed by Sir Samuel Bentham, Inspector-General of Naval Works. Among his innovations were Portsmouth Block Mills, an early example of truly industrial scale production.
From here Nelson, embarking on HMS Victory, left Britain for the final time before his death at the Battle of Trafalgar.
Victorian
HMS Warrior The first ocean going Ironclad is moored in the dockyard.
20th Century
The first modern warship HMS Dreadnought was built in 1906
First World War
HMS M33, a WWI monitor
Second World War
The destroyer flotillas (the capital ships having been evacuated to Scapa Flow) were essential to the defence of the English Channel particularly during Operation Dynamo and against any potential German Invasion and the base itself served a major refit and repair role. The German military realised this importance and the city and base in particularly was heavily bombed as a result.
Portsmouth and the Naval Base itself were the headquarters and main departure point for the military and naval units destined for Sword Beach on the Normandy coast as a part of Operation Overlord and the D-Day Landings on June 6, 1944. Troops destined for each of the landing beaches left from Portsmouth aboard vessels such as the armed merchant cruisers HMCS Prince Henry and HMCS Prince David, escorted by the destroyers HMCS Algonquin and HMCS Sioux. The majority of the naval support for the operation left from Portsmouth, including the Mulberry Harbours.
Post Second World War
Falklands Task Force
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Main article: Falklands War
In 1982 Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands. In response a task force of British military and merchant ships was dispatched from Portsmouth Naval Base (and other naval bases) to the islands in the South Atlantic to reclaim them for the United Kingdom.
The task force consisted of the following ships:
- Two Aircraft Carriers
- Two Landing Ship Docks
- Eight Destroyers
- Fifteen Frigates
- Three Patrol Ships
- Five Submarines
- Three Survey Vessels
- Five Minesweepers
- Ten Fleet Tankers
- Six Logistic Landing Ships
- Five Supply Ships
- One Helicopter Supply ship
- Eighteen Merchant ships including troop/cruise ships such as RMS Queen Elizabeth 2
Following some losses, the majority of these ships returned to Portsmouth later that year.
Trafalgar 200
In the summer of 2005 Portsmouth Naval Base and the Solent played host to two special events organised as part of the Trafalgar 200 commemorations recognising the 200th Anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar. These were the International Fleet Review and the International Festival of the Sea.
Naval Establishments in the Portsmouth area
- HMS Nelson - HM Naval Base Portsmouth, encompassing both the dockyard and the Naval Personnel Centre on Queen Street.
- HMS Excellent - Whale Island, Portsmouth. Including the HQ of Commander in Chief Fleet (CinC FLEET); the Second Sea Lord (2SL); Naval Training facilities operated by FLAGSHIP Ltd)
- HMS Temeraire - Portsmouth. Training of Naval Physical Training Instructors and sports grounds and facilities for Portsmouth based personnel
- HMS Collingwood - Fareham. Naval training provided mainly under contract to FLAGSHIP Ltd
- HMS Sultan - Gosport. Naval (and tri-service) training, home of centre of excellence for mechanical and electrical engineering
Decommissioned
References
- ^ ABROAD AGAIN IN BRITAIN, BBC
Further reading
- Stephen Courtney, Brian Patterson - Home of the Fleet: A Century of Portsmouth Royal Dockyard in Photographs (Sutton Publishing, 2005) ISBN 0-7509-2285-0
External links
Coordinates: 50°48„16“N 1°06„09“W- / -50.80442, -1.10242
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